


The Real You

by susanowa (panickyintheuk)



Series: Inconveniences Rightly Considered [6]
Category: Marvel Adventures (Comics), Marvel Adventures: Avengers, Marvel Adventures: Iron Man
Genre: Gen, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, M/M, Pre-Slash, Press and Tabloids, Tabloids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 10:35:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7636855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panickyintheuk/pseuds/susanowa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony bump into Jess Drew on their way to lunch. Tony makes a Heartfelt Speech. Steve tries to have an Important Conversation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Real You

**Author's Note:**

> For bingo square S5, 'mistaken identity'.
> 
> Although it wasn't my original intention, I ended up coming to the decision that this fic follows on immediately from the previous one, because honestly, how much longer can these guys keep not talking about stuff? However, if you feel like that doesn't scan for you, you can choose to read it as happening later. The choice is yours.
> 
> So this is obviously set post MA:IM #13, but it refers back to events from ##10-12.

They were headed to the tapas place, because Tony was apparently "jonesing for churros", when Tony saw somebody turn the corner and stopped abruptly.

"Oh hey, it's Jess!" he said, and rushed towards a beautiful lady with long, shiny black hair. She was dressed very smartly, in a wide-leg pantsuit with a brown check pattern. It was hardly surprising that she was getting glances from all the fellas. Steve followed, trying not to look like a puppy at Tony's heels.

"Hello Tony," the woman -- Jess, presumably -- was saying. She had a rich voice, with a trace of an accent that Steve couldn't place. "I hope you've put out a memo to your employees to let them know I'm not actually a stalker."

"Jury's still out on that one," Tony said cheerfully. "I mean, what are the chances of bumping into you here, two blocks from my office, huh?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it has something to do my favorite deli being across the street, genius."

"Hey, can't be too careful. I _am_ irresistible, you know. NOW magazine said so in their last issue."

"The same issue where they said that Spider-Man was an ISIS sympathizer? Well, I hate to cast doubt on such an esteemed publication, but I seem to be managing to resist you so far," Jess said drily. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, jeez," said Tony. "I'm so sorry. This is Steve. Steve, this is Jessica Drew. She's a PI. She found Jarvis when he went missing, and I employed her to try and help me find my father." He said the last part in an undertone, and Steve noticed Ms Drew glancing at him shrewdly. Tony's search for his father wasn't public knowledge, so it was rather an honor to be let in on it, and it seemed that hadn't escaped Ms Drew. Steve tried not to swell with pride. Of course, he was used to being trusted implicitly -- it came with the 'Captain America' mantle -- but it still felt good, when it was somebody you liked so much.

"Yes," said Ms Drew. "I'm sorry about how that turned out."

"No, no, you were great. I'm sorry, I really should have called you before now to let you know, but that Canada lead you gave me ended up panning out. I -- Iron Man actually managed to track him down!" Steve glanced at him curiously. He'd never known Tony to stutter before. An insecure part of him wondered if Tony might be interested in this lovely woman, and that was making him nervous, but he shoved it down. "He was in Ghudaza," Tony continued.

Iron Man had been away quite a lot lately, running international missions for Mr Stark -- this must have been part of what he was doing.

"Well, that's unexpected," said Ms Drew. "Did he have some kind of memory loss?"

"No, no. I mean, he's kind of a kook, but basically compos mentis."

"So... why hadn't he contacted you?"

Tony waved a hand. "Oh, something about how I'm a no-good do-nothing playboy. You know the drill." Ms Drew frowned, looked like she was about to say something, but Tony plowed on. "Anyway, I'm keeping you from your lunch."

"Right. Well. It was lovely to see you again, Tony," Ms Drew said sweetly, with none of the ribbing from before. She kissed him on the cheek. "And nice to meet you, Steve," she added, putting her hand out with a flash of a significant look. _Take care of him_ , he thought it said.

"You, too," he said, taking her hand (surprisingly strong), trying to impart _I intend to_.

Tony turned to him when she was out of earshot. "Does she give you the willies, too?" he asked.

"What's that?"

"Pepper always says that she gets the willies around Jess. You seemed a little upset, I wondered if you had the same problem."

"Oh, no, she seems very nice." He paused, but he couldn't help saying, "I just think it's awful, Tony!"

"What? What is?" Tony looked genuinely baffled.

"That your father wouldn't get in touch just because of all that nonsense they make up about you in the papers!"

" _Oh_ ," said Tony, " _that_. Well, it's not all made up, you know, Steve."

"They say all sorts of things that I know for a fact aren't true. And anyway, he should have given you a chance, not just believed everything he read."

Tony looked a little uncomfortable. "Well, that's dad for you, I guess," he said.

"I'm sorry, Tony, it's really none of my business. I didn't mean to criticize your father."

"No, no, it's fine."

"I just -- hope you don't let that stuff bother you. Your friends know the truth about you, about how generous you are, and --"

"Stop, stop!" Tony laughed. "I have a big enough head already."

"Well," said Steve. There were so many things he wanted to say to Tony, but Tony just got embarrassed when he tried. He'd just have to try to show him, he supposed. "We'd better hurry, or your lunch break will be over before we've had a chance to eat!"

**

"Listen," said Tony, after they'd eaten and Steve had walked him back to his office, "I was thinking about what you said, about not believing everything you read? And I guess it made me realize that I had this idea of who I thought you were before I ever met you. It would be almost impossible not to. And I know it's not really the same thing, but I can kind of relate to that -- people read things in the tabloids and they think they know the whole story. And I know that, for me, it can be hard -- everyone you meet having an opinion about you already, and not knowing whether somebody actually likes you or if they're just out for what they think I can give them, or -- anyway," he waved a dismissive hand, "I guess it's even harder for you. People must bring a lot of baggage with them, any time they meet you. I wish I could say I was some kind of exception to that, but I know I really wasn't. Anyway, I just wanted to say, it's been an honor to get to know the real you. It's really -- exceeded my expectations."

Steve couldn't quite make himself say anything. Sometimes Tony would say things, and it would brush up against a tender spot Steve hadn't known he had. He hadn't known how badly he'd wanted Tony to like him for more than just Captain America, to know him in a way that no other living person really did -- the team, maybe, but even to them, he was Cap before he was Steve. Right now, he felt as though he might burst into flower.

"Steve? Did I say something wrong? I'm sorry if I... projected onto you, or..."

"No," said Steve. "I hope you know that I feel the same way. About getting to know you, and everything." It was pathetically inadequate, but if what he hoped was true, he would get plenty of chances to try and tell Tony how much he meant to him. He took a step forward. "Tony, please, I need to know, are we --"

His communicator starting beeping shrilly. He closed his eyes and bit down on a curse.

Tony's phone was going off, too -- some custom ringtone, a rock song. Tony stared at him, a little wide-eyed. "It -- it gets forwarded to me, so I can keep tabs on Iron Man. You should get that."

"Yeah," said Steve. He reached out, touched Tony's arm across the desk. "Can I talk to you, after?"

"Yes! Yes, of course! But you need to --"

"Yeah, I know. Later, okay?" He turned away and started walking, picking up the call as he went. "Go for America."

And he had to leave Steve Rogers behind again, because Captain America was needed. But it was nice to think that he left him here with Tony, where he would be safe.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if I've made any dumb mistakes! It's even more likely than usual today, because bingo.
> 
> As always, I'm on tumblr at http://shiningredandgold.tumblr.com/! Not too active right now though, because work.


End file.
